How do you plan your adventures?

I work only 3-4 days a week and my Friday usually starts on Wednesday night. That’s the time when I start planning my “weekend”. There is nothing wrong with being spontaneous from time to time. Somebody would even say that it’s more fun and more adventurous: hit the road, jump into your car and just drive, be “the Free Spirit”. Though,often , when I try to be spontaneous… I wake up at 2 pm on Saturday afternoon, then take some time to “think” what I want to do today, whether I should call my friends and offer them to go somewhere and do something, or I should wait for them to call me. Next thing you know ,it’s 5 pm, and it’s too “late” to go anywhere. So planning works for me much better.

When I start planning , first thing I usually consider is …my finances. “Do I have enough money to do what I want to do?” Can I spend $150 on paragliding, or $75 on rafting, or $ 50 to rent that scuba gear ? Do I have enough money for gas to go outside at all? We all know that the time is tough , the prices of gas are soaring and lot’s of folks are opting for “staycations” now days. So financial situation will help you out ( or not) to decide what to do during your upcoming weekend.

Next- resources. As an activity organizer, I am asked to plan different adventures and outdoor events: whether it’s an urban sightseeing biking trip, backcountry expedition, multi day rafting adventure or just a camping outing. My first resource is ,of course,Internet. Since I’ve been doing it for some time, I know about all the adventures in our state, outfitters that provide those adventures, places to go and things to do there.
My other resourceful and trusted source – books. By know, I have my own library on Washington outdoors, books on different activities and places in our state. I visit a library, from now and then, but some of the library’s guide books are outdated and misleading.
And last- magazines. I subscribe to National Geographic Adventure and the Outside magazine. Both magazines have great articles mentioning our state, almost in every issue ( it shows what a great state we live in!).

The final part of my planning is- whether I want to do it solo or share it with somebody. I am still doing a lot of research on “places to visit and things to do in Washington”, so, mostly I do it alone or with a close friends , who don’t mind unexpected “misadventures” and troubles ( like “car camping ” in Whistler… in January, when I “forgot” to reserve a room). But if you don’t like travelling alone, there are numerous social site out there that would help you to find a “travel buddy”, somebody who would share the same interests.

So, how do you plan your adventures? Which resources do you use? Would you rather go on adventure alone, or with somebody you’ve just met on Craigslist?